Unitary brush assembly and protective housing therefor



pr l5, 1941.. W. M. QTGLEY ET' A1.

UNITARY BRUSH ASSEMBLY AND PnoTEcTvnHouslNG THEREFOR Filed May 6, 1959 tented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITARY BRUSH ASS EMBLY AND ritorno- TIVE HOUSING THEREFOR Winfred M.

Taylerson, magic-Illinois Steel of New Jersey Quigley West View, and Ewart S.

Pittsburgh, Pa.,

assignors to Car- Corporation, a corporation Application May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,270 2 Claims. (Cl. 15179) rllhis invention relates to a, unitary brush assembly for machines adapted to brush the surfaces of electroplated strip material, and more particularly to a unitary brush assembly capable of removal from or placement through the side wall of the brush/ing machine frame without damage to the brushing element mounted thereon.

An object of the present invention is to provide a unitary brush assembly having a driving mechanism mounted directly on and connected to a brushing element.

A further object of the present invention resides in a unitary brush assembly including a protective housing provided with means cooperating with means on the frame for guiding the brush assembly during its removal or insertion through the side wall of the brushing machine.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds, and reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation showing the framework of the brushing machine in section with the unitary brush assembly positioned-therein;

Figure 2 is a top plan of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on line III-III of Figure 1.

In the drawing, the numerals 2 and 3 represent spaced side walls of a supporting frame between which are positioned the various brush assembly units of the brushing machine. The side walls 2 and 3 are provided with aligned openings formed therein for receiving the respective brush assembly units..

"Each brush assembly unit includes a shaft 4 directly connected by a coupling, not shown, of conventional design to the armature shaft 5 of the motorl which construction provides a direct driving means for the rotary brush of the respective brush assembly units. Keyed at I to the shaft t and held in place thereon by lock-nuts is a tube 9 upon which the brushing element Ill iswound.

The brush assembly unit includes a protective member I2 for the brushing element and, in the present instance, said protective member is Shown as comprising a cylindrical shell having oppositely disposed longitudinal slots or openings I4, which slots or openings extend substantially the entire Width of the brush III. These openings Ill permit the peripheral surface of said brushing element III to project a suiiicient distance therethrough so as to actively engage the surfaces of the strip material desired to be uniformly brushed. f

f The protective cylindrical shell I2 is of a length suflicient to extend through the openings formed in the side walls of the supporting frame and has vits ends machined to properly t within said openings so as to be supported by the side walls of the supporting frame. Secured to each end of the protective cylindrical housing I2, in any conventional manner, are bearing housings I5 The protective cylindrical housing I2 is provided with iianges I6 oppositely disposed and in axial alignment, which flanges I6, in cooperation with the guideways I'I secured to and extending between the side walls 2 and 3, provide a means for guiding the brush assembly unit and/or units into and out of position through the side wall of the brushing machine. Secured to one end of the protective cylindrical housing l2 is the motor I, the armature shaft of which, as aforementioned, is directly connected to the shaft 4 upon which the brushV is mounted, whereby the brushing element of the respective unitary assemblies are directly driven.

'The bearings I5 may be of any conventional design and are secured to the protective cylindrical housing so that the entire assembly of the motor, housing and brushing element may be in proper alignment when positioned within the brushing machine.

Secured, in any conventional manner, to the shaft I, at each end adjacent the side frames 2 and 3 are splash plates I8 which, being secured to said shaft l, in any conventional manner, rotate therewith and prevent water from reaching the bearings within housings I5. The present brush assembly unit is one of a number of such units which may be used in a brushing machine and, due to the fact that each brush assembly unit and brush is directly and independently driven, it permits ready and easy removal of the individual brush assembly units from the machine without aifecting the operation of the remaining units thereon. When it is desired to remove the brush assembly units, `the threaded bolts Ilare removed and the whole brush assembly unit which contains the motor 9, shaft 4'. brushing element Ill and bearing housings I5 may be removed from the brushing machine byv sliding the protective cylindrical housing I2 between the guideways I1 and out of the opening in the side wall 2 on the motor side of the assembly unit.

Under the present construction, there is provided a unitary brush assembly capable of being readily removed and inserted as desired into a brushing machine without likelihood of damaging the brushing element during its removal or insertion into the brushing machine due to the fact that said brushing element is provided with the cylindrical protective housing upon which is mounted the flanges for sliding in the guideways on the brushing machine. This precludes tilting of the brush during its insertion or removal into the machine and eliminates danger of damaging the brushing element.

While We have shown and described a specic embodiment of the present invention, it will be seen that we do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various changes may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A brushing apparatus comprising a frame, a unitary brushing assembly slidable endwise therein, said assembly comprising a driving unit. a rotary shaft connected to said driving unit, a rotary elongated brush carried by said rotary' shaft, a protective housing substantially enclosing said rotary brush and having at least one aperture formed therein through which portions of the brush are adapted to extend and operata, longitudinally extending guiding elements carried by said protective housing and substantially coextensive with the axis thereof, and cooperating guiding elements carried by the frame ci said brushing apparatus.

2. A brushing apparatus comprising a frame, a unitary brushing assembly horizontally slidable endwise therein, said assembly comprising a driving unit, a rotary shaft connected to said driving unit, a rotary elongated brush carried by said rotary shaft, a cylindrical protective housing substantially enclosing said rotary brush and having at least one aperture formed therein through which portions ofthe brush are adapted to extend and operate, a rib carried by said protective housing and substantitally co-extensive with the axis thereof, and a trackway carried by said frame and providing a recess for said rib whereby said protective housing may be guided in its movement into and out of the frame.

WINFRED M. QUIGLEY. EWART S. TAYLERSON. 

